This invention relates to a method and apparatus primarily intended for use in pumping out manure pits, lagoons and the like on farms or ranches.
It is common practice in farming to store animal manure in pits or outdoor lagoons for subsequent use as fertilizer. Generally, manure is removed from a pit or lagoon by suction, using a suction wagon with a suction hose which is placed in the manure. When filled, the wagon is moved to a fertilizing site and the manure is discharged. In manure pits and lagoons of this type, the heavier manure material tends to settle to the bottom and eventually cake or generally solidify to an extent that it cannot be removed by suction. Thus, over a period of time, an ever-increasing depth of solid manure forms and collects at the bottom of the pit or lagoon, and cannot be effectively removed by a suction wagon.
Chemical treatments have been proposed in connection with manure in pits or lagoons, but have not proved entirely successful in overcoming the solidification buildup as described above. The present invention provides an alternative solution.